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18M votes, but she's still No. 68

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Hillary Clinton will return to work without a plan to engage in major Senate debates this summer.
John Shinkle

On Saturday, Hillary Rodham Clinton told thousands of adoring supporters that her run for the presidency had changed American history forever. On Monday, she sent a letter to the Social Security Administration complaining about the slow pace of disability decisions coming out of a field office in Buffalo, N.Y.

It’s a swift fall for someone who drew 18 million votes during the Democratic primary season. And it seems that the former first lady had better get used to it.

Although Clinton has been out of the presidential race for nearly a week now, her office hasn’t said yet when she’ll return to work as the junior senator from New York. But when she does, her colleagues and leaders have made it abundantly clear that she’ll be ... the junior senator from New York.

“We’ve had a lot of senators return to the Senate [after running for president],” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “We don’t have a special position [for her].”

Senate Democratic leaders have dismissed the notion of a special leadership title for Clinton, and there’s no indication that she has sought one.

Democratic Senate aides say there are no specific plans for her to take a lead role in any major Senate debate this summer, whether on energy, housing or her signature issue, health care.

“General election candidates haven’t gotten anything when they return,” noted one Democratic aide. “Why should somebody who didn’t get the nomination?”

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) is one of those general-election losers. He said that the key for Clinton’s transition back to the Senate is not to have “any presumption about a special status.”

“You have to just go back to the Senate, back to the committees,” he said. “You still have to come in and build support for the things you want.”

Since formally suspending her presidential campaign on Saturday, Clinton has kept a relatively low profile. She’s had no public schedule, and Clinton aides say it’s premature to talk about her post-campaign role. As of Wednesday afternoon, Clinton hadn’t told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) when she plans to be back full time.

Whenever she returns, Clinton will have to face the fact that only a dozen of her Democratic colleagues endorsed her candidacy. And she’ll be reminded that the number that matters isn’t 18 million — her vote total in the primaries — but 68, her place on the Senate seniority chart.

Why Hillary, because Obama vs McCain is the snorefest of the century. You could always count on a story from hillary, good or bad. Now were talking about Abba and Mccain's corns and Obama's heartburn. The media is desperate for stories now. That's what they get for being so biased and trying to push her out.

Don't worry. As much as I may dislike her and love to say something else, let's face it: we all know she's not going to REMAIN merely # 68 in the Senate. Even if it's a much enhanced role as Secretary of Health and Human Services (where she is at least promised an unprecedented level of control over healthcare) she's going somewhere. Maybe Governor of New York. But she's got options. And she'll go back to the Senate as a much-enhanced number 68. So her supporters need not feel bad about that.

Despite the great, devastating fall of Hillary Clinton, she still lands at a pretty lofty, cushy perch - the United States Senate. Still, it must gall her at #68 that the truth (as distinct from her campaign rhetoric) that she was not the most experienced Democratic candidate running - indeed, far from even the most experienced senator running - is something she'll have to live with publicly day in and day out.

You are an idiot and what you are saying makes absolutely no sense!! "They have no stories and that is why they wanted to push her out" Anyone with any brain would think the opposite, the news media would rather have her stay in so they can keep pounding that as a matter of fact~!!!It sells better jackass! Go ahead and vote for Mcinsane and you are probably one of these imbeciles who voted for Bush, not once but twice since you enjoyed having your teeth kicked in so many times by these Repuke-blicans. Real democrats do not need you!!!!

factually, she didn't get 18 mil. votes. When you count all the primaries and estimate all the caucuses, Obama definitely won the popular vote, more states, more delegates. On subject, Hillary wont have a problem finding her way back to public service so this headliner is really a waste of time.

Why doesn't she return her salary for all the months she DID NOT do work for the people of New York. Politcians are sleazebags and they think of themselves as noble statesmen. They are all just lazy, corrupt pigs wallowing at the public trough. And Clinton is among the worst. We are lucky if we have ten noble people serving in government in any given century.

So what makes one a "real Democrat" anyway? Apparently, to be "real" a person must advocate disenfranchisement of their own party members, making up election results and stealing delegates, weighted delegate proportioning based on affirmative action, delegate accumulation through voter fraud and bullying at caucuses that only represent 3% of the tolal vote, and misyogyny in the media, not to mention selection and not election. Congats on that "real" status!!

H I L L A R Y / L A T I N O S A R E W I T H Y O U I love it... the media insultes her so much and now they're still talking about her... (media without Hillary so boring) this woman has power anywhere she goes... She has class... smart, honest, and if Obama doesn't take her on the ticket.. McCain for president...... Obama should not come to Florida to waste his time.... at least not without Hillary.. Florida for Obama/Hillary or Florida for McCain..

All the Hillary articles are here for one reason and one only. Hillary = increased traffic to the site. Between the Republicans blind hatred of the Clintons to the irrational Hillary for Prez supporters, every Hillary article is guaranteed to create a flurry of activity. The only conspiracy here is one (by Politico) to make money.

That maybe he official senate ranking "for now". However, Sen. Hillary Clinton is an historic figure. She has established herself as one of the most influential persons in politics, and one of the most powerful women in America. She would have been a dynamic president!